ATLAS PROJECTOSPT | EN

Planned Obsolescence—A Retrospective (2nd edition)
Henning Lundkvist

2020 / EN / Offset / 18×11 cm / 112pp. / 500 copies

It is true that I had accumulated a lot of cultural capital, but like
so many others I had never found a way to convert it into cash.

With this first sentence of Planned Obsolescence—A Retrospective,
the anonymous narrator—suspiciously similar to the book's
author—begins a rhythmical rant, a 100-plus-page long exercise
in repetition, variation, and a severe lack of punctuation. In this
monologue spoken by a voice who could equally be the narrator
or the hordes of others in the same position, he makes up bad
excuses for why his career as an artist and writer hasn't taken off
as planned; he explains why he prefers to work in a bar rather than
produce new artworks; and he moans over the conversion of
Europe's picturesque cities into expensive theme parks for tourists
due to low-cost flights and Airbnb. Finally, he dreams up a way
to halt the extreme inflation of cultural capital and make the world
a better place. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work.

Second Edition with new cover and sticker




previous / next